Previous Releases

1998 MerlotSpring Mountain District

The Spring Mountain District Merlot is a blend of Merlots from our Estate and from neighboring York Creek and Spring Mountain Vineyards. A majority of grapes for this wine come from young vines that are planted meter by meter and are head trained. This decreases the yield per vine and increases the competition between them resulting in more concentrated flavors.

There is something special about Merlots from the top of Spring Mountain. Year in and year out they seem to possess structure and layers of fruit and spices not found in Merlots from the valley floor. We feel Spring Mountain is ideal for growing and producing exceptional Merlot. We have had many comments that the Spring Mountain Merlots are "Cabernet drinker's Merlots." The wine is typically aged for 18 months in small French oak barrels (50% new) and blended with a small percentage of Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc.